Pass Christian lies on the Mississippi Sound almost equidistant between New Orleans Louisiana, and Mobile Alabama each of which lies about one and one-half hours away by car. Two major highways connect Pass Christian with these towns: Interstate-10 and the older U.S. Highway 90.

Pass Christian developed as a coastal resort in the 1830s and '40s - a resort that despite the hardships of the 1860s was among the premiere American "watering places" of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

The town is named for a nearby offshore channel, or 'pass,' that permitted boats to navigate the shallow Mississippi Sound. But the naming of the channel is a puzzle. Early eighteenth century maps simply refer to the channel as passe aux Huîtres or "oyster pass," for it skirts one of the largest oyster reefs in the world. But by the 1760s it became known as Pass aux Christiana, apparently (for theories abound) in recognition of a resident of nearby Cat Island.

Pass Christian is slowly starting to get back on its feet. After being pounded by hurricane Katrina, people there are beginning to rebuild. More than 80 percent of the homes were destroyed by the storm.

To date, many residents are living in tents and trailers on their property.

"This city of 6,500 people (pre-Katrina) has a population of 750 residents. Eighty percent of the homes have been destroyed or severely damaged. The business district is completely destroyed. Fifty of the upscale high-taxed homes have also been destroyed. Pass Christian continues to experience significant economic loss. Pass Christian’s $600,000 emergency fund will be exhausted in six weeks. The city is establishing a $1 million loan and considering a $10 million line of credit. These will be extremely difficult to repay without a secure tax basis. There is a 100 tent village of homeless people in Pass Christian. The community is just beginning to re-establish electricity and telephone service. Sewage and water lines are incomplete. My Rotary Club is attempting to raise $1.5 million. We must help our neighbors; we must help the Mississippi Gulf Coast rise out of Katrina’s debris." DH Short II, M.D., December 9, 2005.